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CENTER FOR CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES
History & Purpose
Contemplative practices have been used for centuries in many diverse traditions to quiet the habitual chatter of the mind, cultivate a capacity for deeper awareness and understanding of one’s purpose, and enhance feelings of connectedness and compassion. Recent research conducted by scientists in a variety of disciplines has empirically supported the value of such practices.
The overall purpose of the Center for Contemplative Practices is to provide support to all members of the campus community through contemplative practices, pedagogy, and research that foster deep learning, reduced stress, increased capacity for compassionate listening, and increased well-being.
Why Mindfulness? Why Now?
Now more than ever before, we need to learn how to focus our attention and our energies towards meeting the local and global challenges we collectively face, such as pandemics, climate change, racial tensions, economic insecurity, and mental health crises. The unprecedented events of the last two years have made it evident that for our students to be successful we need to prepare them and ourselves to be resilient in the face of constant uncertainty. We must learn how to engage with people who have different lived experiences and worldviews with the intention of finding a shared purpose grounded in our common humanity. In short, we need to learn how to be more compassionate and how to work together toward the greater good. Having a Center for Contemplative Practices will coalesce our efforts at providing these learning opportunities in a consistent, coordinated, and time-sensitive way.
What does the Research say?
Research studies and our own experiences with contemplative pedagogy have demonstrated
that mindfulness practices can expand our capacity to be resilient under uncertainty,
to be compassionate, to be focused, and to listen to each other with kindness and
curiosity. Consistent practice of contemplative techniques can literally change brain
functionality and help us use our cognitive, emotional, and physical selves more effectively
and foster deep learning. Research has shown that contemplative practices can help
students improve readiness to learn, reduce stress and anxiety, increase focused attention,
and regulate emotional reactivity. Contemplative pedagogy is now widely recognized
and accepted by research and practitioner communities as an innovative and effective
teaching practice. It can help create more inclusive, identity-safe student learning
communities that have the courage and resilience to listen and learn from each other
and together transform the world.
Mission Statement
We wish to foster a community of awareness and appreciation for our own and other's experiences through contemplative practices, pedagogy and research. We affirm that in an increasingly interdependent world, learning to listen with kindness and curiosity generates compassion, connectedness and the ability to see the world from diverse perspectives.
Ways you can get involved
Come Practice With Us
Feeling stressed? Overwhelmed? Isolated? Anxious? Unable to focus? Come join us for a daily dose of mindfulness on a drop in basis. We are here for you. We have online and in person options. No prior experience necessary. Bring a friend, a family member, or a colleague. Mindfulness can help reduce stress, quiet the habitual chatter of the mind, cultivate a capacity for deeper awareness and focus, and enhance feelings of connectedness and compassion. To learn more about our schedule please click on the link below:
Learn More About Mindfulness
Are you curious about mindfulness? Do you want to learn more about mindfulness practices and how you can incorporate them into your daily life? We offer 2-hour workshops, half-day retreats, four week or six week courses or a semester long course. You can choose which one works for you. No prior experience necessary. All our offerings are free. For a list of our offerings please click on the link below:
Learn more about Contemplative Pedagogy
Contemplative pedagogy includes practices that quiet the habitual chatter of the mind, cultivate a capacity for deeper awareness and understanding, increase focused attention, and increase feelings of connectedness and compassion. Recent studies have shown that the use of contemplative practices in the classroom can improve concentration, reduce stress and anxiety, reduce emotional reactivity and improve academic performance among students across a broad range of domains. Consistent practice of contemplative techniques can, literally, change our brain functionality and help us use our cognitive, emotional and physical selves more effectively. If you are an educator and want to learn more about how you can incorporate contemplative pedagogy into your classes please join us for a workshop, a summer retreat or a year long faculty learning community. For more information about our offerings please click on the link below:
Attend a Conference
We offer an annual conference in the summer. Please stay tuned for information about our next conference.
Learn more about Research Opportunities
Several faculty on our advisory board do research on contemplative practices and the impact of such practices on stress, compassion, civic action and emotional wellbeing. We also partner with faculty and other researchers who are not members of our advisory board but wish to explore contemplative research. Learn more about our work and participate in our Research Projects.
Learn more about Service Learning & Internship Opportunities
We offer service learning and internship opportunities for students every semester. Learn more about Internships.
Invite us to provide a Customized Session for you
We are happy to work with you to provide you or your unit/organization with customized sessions/workshops/ trainings/retreats. Customized Sessions
Learn more about how you can Partner with us
We are always open to the possibility of exploring new partnerships and ways of engaging with you. Partnerships
Registration
If you would like to register with us or have inquiries: CCP Interest Form